an axe as a starter weapon because a sword is to complicated to handle for a beginner?
are you kidding me? a sword became popular all over the world because it's EASY to use and convenient to keep on person!
An axe would be a battle weapon because it's unwieldy and harder to use in everyday situations... ever thought about where to keep that axe? or tried to unsheath an axe in a fast manner?
draw your sword in half a second and slice the guy in pieces who try exactly that and needs up to 10 seconds depending on the sheathing method, where the axe is located while moving around etc